LA sludge post metallers WOVOKA explore the rawness of grief in their new epic track “Traces”

2 years since the release of their crushing debut sludge hammer “Saros”, Los Angeles based sludgy, slowly crawling post metal act WOVOKA are back with an amazing new collaboration project with Copenhagen’s LLNN, grand sci-fi post metallers and one of the most striking discoveries within European heavy music scene in recent years. We shared the news on their cooperation back in April, recently spiced it up with a new music video from LLNN, and now it’s time for another proper teaser – a new track from WOVOKA! The 18-minute oeuvre takes you for a harrowing and stunningly monumental piece, a tour de force that cements WOVOKA in the company of post metal’s greatest. Listen below.

The band commented on both the new track and their plans to record a second LP later this year:

“Conceptually, and on a thematic level, ‘Traces’ deals with loss, and the process of grief. Writing this song was extremely difficult and stressful; and at almost 18 minutes long, it mirrors that creative journey and our own personal struggles during the process. In the end, with the help of our friends Alex Estrada (Silver Snakes) and Jay Valena (Oskoreien), we reached something that we are very proud of.

We are currently preparing to record or second full length and will be announcing a few tour dates later this year. All of us are so excited to share this release, and we hope it’s as cathartic for the listener as creating it was for us.”

More about both bands and “Marks/Traces” split:

Copenhagen’s LLNN have created “a bleak soundtrack to a cinematic, post-apolocalyptic landscape, or indeed a grim and rainy Monday in June”, Terrorizer said about their stunning debut album Loss, which was released 1 year ago through Pelagic Records. The massively heavy tightly-woven sonic fabric that these 4 young Danes create has been critically acclaimed throughout the European press landscape.

The Marks material which forms their part of this split album was written (and partially selfreleased) before Loss — but the first scrunching riff of opening track The Guardian, trudging along the simple and relentless drums until Christian Bonnesen’s truculent vocals take the song to the next level of blackened intensity, make it 100% clear that this material is in no way any less mature than the debut’s’. Much like on Loss, the wavering drone synths that are effortlessly merged with a raw hardcore-driven darkness define the subtle idiosycratic nuances of LLNN‘s very unsubtle, painfully overwhelming sound.

“Wovoka’s musical volleys are both panoramically expansive and crushingly claustrophobic“, LA Weekly wrote about these 4 dark souls from the West Coast. Emerging from a near 2-year slumber since debut album Saros saw the light of day, Wovoka are contributing one single 18- minute opus to this album, continuing right where LLNN have left off. With compositions of truly epic proportions which transcend the cliches of heavy music, the band has scorched their position in the Los Angeles underground as one of the most volatile, unrelenting acts in the area. Wovoka have understood that true heaviness lies in reduction – reduction of tempo, reduction of a musical idea to its core, to its bleak essence. Lyrically, Traces is transgressing the nature of grief that comes from loss, in a fierce representation of the sheer emotional weight of fear, and the finality of greeting the end of one’s mortal coil.

Belgian artist Ammo was comissioned to create the stunning artwork, which perfectly reflects the music on this release. The vinyl version comes with a hand-numbered 5-colour screen-print. Limited edition on brass & black wax, which looks like an impact crater.

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